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Occupancy

Ages of children

Location

8/10

Construction laws determining distance from the shoreline mean that it’s hard to find a hotel this close to the sea in Barcelona. Ideally situated for those who want nothing more than to kick back, it’s maybe less suitable for anyone hoping to immerse themselves in culture and barhopping. The Old City is maybe a 20-minute walk away, and there’s no metro nearby, just a couple of bus lines.

Style & character

7/10

Though it indisputably feels like part of a chain, the Skipper is redeemed by the terraced garden and pool at its centre, which has just enough going on (plastic flamingos amid the aromatic plants and citrus trees, a Louvre-inspired pyramid rising from the shallow pool and a small kitchen garden of herbs and vegetables) to distract from the looming glass walls on either side. Also soothing is the waterfall, which mimics the sound of the waves, themselves fractionally too far away to hear.

Service & facilities

8/10

A brisk, efficient reception desk tackles queries in a range of languages and there’s a comfortable sitting area nearby with complimentary water.

As well as the pools (there is another pool on the roof, with a bar, table football and ping pong table), there is a small but up-to-the-minute gym and a modest sauna/steam room, along with a couple of rooms where you can book a massage. On the ground floor, there is a quiet ‘connectivity lounge’ with computers and a printer, along with a sofa and TV.

Bar

Fitness centre

Laundry

Parking

Pool

Restaurant

Room service

Sauna

Spa

Steam room/hammam

Wi-Fi

Rooms

8/10

Rooms have a similar feel – sombre tones are enlivened with one red wall and a mix of different wood finishes. Rooms are carpeted, and contain white leather armchairs, kettles (with tea and coffee), complimentary water, pillow menus and irons with boards. Bathrooms across the range have a separate bath and shower, and lavender and peppermint toiletries from cultish NYC firm C. O. Bigelow.

Superior rooms are much the same as Standards, but have a balcony, and those from the fourth floor and above have a sea view.

Food & drink

7/10

Breakfast is a hearty affair, which is not to say that there aren’t light and healthy dishes and plenty of fruit, but it is hard to resist the Scotch pancakes with maple syrup, smoked salmon with cream cheese, and so on (not to mention the usual bacon, sausage, eggs cooked to order). Coffee ordered from a waiter is filtered, but there is an Illy machine from which you can take the real thing.

The Blend bar and restaurant serves the standard international hotel fare of burgers, club sandwiches and salads, along with a few more local dishes in the form of tapas. The Atic bar, on the roof, is open in the summer months.